Don't Ever Let It End
by Bren Gail
Summary: When Nell's parents make an unexpected trip to Los Angeles, Nell must find a temporary live-in fake boyfriend. In order to cover for one lie, she must live a lie that she wishes was reality. Nell/Callen.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:__ "Don't Ever Let It End" is a song title to a wonderful song by Nickelback._

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**Chapter One**

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**_Thursday, 5:48 PM_**

**_Los Angeles Office of Special Projects_**

**_Kitchen_**

As Callen handed a smoothie and medium sized fast food white paper bag to Eric, Callen asked, "Where's Nell? You sure she didn't want anything to eat?"

Eric took a sip of the smoothie as he sat down in his chair diagonally across from Deeks and beside Kensi. Sam placed a large fast food white paper bag on the table directly between Deeks and Kensi as he took a seat at the end of table. Sam neatly took the sandwiches and respective sides out of the bag and handed Deeks and Kensi their order before placing his own on the paper plate in front of him. Kensi had set the table with paper plates and plastic utensils.

Eric shrugged as he took another sip of the hot pink colored smoothie, "She said she had plans, but she didn't sound happy about it. She was talking to her parents when I left Ops and came down here."

Callen nodded as he placed two cups onto the table with one hand, the other hand pulled out the chair at the opposite end of the table as Sam and sat. He pulled his phone out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket and sent a quick text to Nell, "_Kitchen, now. Have surprise for you. – Callen_"

"Kensi, you're going to have a heart attack by forty." Deeks admonished Kensi as she took a bite of her bacon triple cheeseburger with extra condiments.

Kensi glared as she quickly chewed what was in her mouth before taking a large exaggerated bite and moaning, "Yum."

Deeks looked at her in horror.

Sam shook his head, but agreed with him, "Come on, Kens, the way you and Callen eat, I'm going to end up partnered with the mutt."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Deeks sarcastically laughed as he popped a French fry in his mouth.

"Speaking of Callen eating," Kensi said as she wiped her mouth with a light brown paper napkin, "Where's your food?"

"Didn't order any," Callen replied picking up the plastic cup on the right and taking a sip of the milk shake.

Kensi stared at him for several minutes. He arched an inquisitive eyebrow at the undue attention. Although, he showed no signals or tells as to why he had not ordered anything, her eyes widened and her mouth formed a large Cheshire grin. He narrowed his eyes at her, because the grin she flashed him was the _'I know something that you don't'_ one, and in his experience, he never ended on the 'correct' side of that 'something.' Kensi glanced at Sam whom shrugged signifying that he either did not know or did not care. Deeks looked around at everyone before making eye contact with Eric. Eric shrugged and continued to eat his sandwich. Deeks rolled his eyes, before his eyes landed on the plastic cup in front of Callen.

"Is that?" Deeks asked, but paused in the middle of the question. He, too, grinned before he glanced at Kensi and nodded in understanding; Callen hadn't ordered anything, because he was going to con Nell into getting something to eat, because she had said that she didn't want anything. She wouldn't be able to refuse his nice offer. The only one that could get Nell to do something that she did not want to do was he. Not even Hetty could _always_ force her to do something.

"Is that, what?" Callen asked tiredly, as he started to second-guess agreeing to spend his Friday night in the office's large industrialized kitchen in an attempt at team bonding. Hetty and Nell had somehow slipped out of the bonding session over fast food.

"Nell's favorite flavored milk shake," Eric answered. His eyes widened in surprise at the looks of surprise that the other four gave him. "I wouldn't be her _best_ friend, if I didn't know what her guilty pleasures are."

Deeks smirked, "Guilty pleasures as in plural, ni-i-ce."

Kensi threw a French fry at Deeks head as Sam glared at the amused Detective, before his dark brown eyes landed on his partner in a look of concentration.

Callen sat back in his chair, placed his soft drink down onto the table, and motioned to the milkshake, "Okay, best friend, what is it."

Eric gave him a look that asked, _'really, you want to go there?'_

Callen arched an eyebrow and his lips tilted into the start of a smirk as if daring Eric to answer.

Eric answered proudly and unafraid, "Strawberry Oreo Milk Shake with extra Oreo pieces, whipped cream, and two cherries."

Callen leaned forward in his chair, picked up the milkshake, and slightly waved it in the air back-and-forth tauntingly at Eric. Callen smiled smug as he placed emphasis on the corrections and said, "Strawberry Oreo _Layered_ Milk Shake with extra _mint flavored_ Oreo pieces, and _extra_ whipped cream,_ a dash of sugar_, and two cherries."

"Bullshit," Eric stated in disbelief, "She's never gotten mint flavored Oreo pieces, it's always regular or strawberry. She only gets layered when she's had a bad day."

Deeks choked on the bite of his sandwich, coughed, and washed the half-chewed, completely lodged food down his throat. His eyes watered as they landed on Eric in a mixture of wonder and pride.

Kensi's mouth opened in shock, a piece of half-chewed lettuce fell out and landed on her plate. She blinked as she took a large gulp of her soft drink. She was shocked that Eric had called Callen out on something that had nothing to do with Technology.

Sam's eyes bulged in shock over the facts that Callen was bickering with Eric about Nell's favorite milkshake and that Eric had called Callen out.

Callen smirked as he heard the telltale sound of heels tapping against tile. He said teasingly, "Okay, best friend, we'll see who's right, Benjamin Franklin says I am." He took his wallet out of his jean pocket and held up a hundred dollar bill.

Sam went to speak up, to warn Eric, but Callen silenced him with a glance. Sam shook his head and took a bite of his sandwich.

Eric grinned, "You're on," He boasted, "Easiest hundred bucks ever."

The tapping sound became louder, he placed the hundred in the inside pocket of his leather jacket, as he said without turning toward to the door, "Hey, Nell."

"Woah," Deeks exclaimed as he and Kensi shared a look, "I thought Hetty was good. How did he know that Nell was coming through the door?"

Sam smiled, holding his sandwich an inch from his mouth. Sam answered Deek's rhetorical question, "He's got skill where you have none."

Deeks glared at Sam before looking at Callen.

Nell walked across the kitchen to the table where they all sat. When she was a few feet from them, she said tiredly, "Hey guys, I'm sorry that I can't join, I'm just about to leave," She adjusted the shoulder strap of her computer bag as she paused beside Callen, behind an empty chair next to Deeks. "OMG, I love you, Callen!" Nell exclaimed blissfully as she saw the milkshake that was obviously for her. No one else she knew could drink such a sugary overload of flavours.

Deeks did a dramatic double take that Eric mirrored. Sam grinned. Kensi played with her straw as she quickly took a sip. Callen stared up at Nell, smirking, "Really? I wonder what I did for that declaration."

"Oh My God," Nell exclaimed properly, as she bent to hug him, he loosely one arm hugged her back, and patted her back not comfortable with the looks that Sam shot him, he refused to look at the other three. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly as she pecked him on the cheek. She pulled away and went to grab the pink and black shake topped with extra whipped cream that had begun to melt. The two cherries had sunk. Callen grabbed the treat before she could grasp it. "Callen! Don't do this to me! You're such a tease!"

Deeks blinked, the only movement of the set dramatic double take had done since her declaration of love. Eric's mouth slightly fell. Sam grinned wider as he arched an eyebrow. Kensi innocently sipped her soft drink.

Callen smiled as he waved the shake at her as he had Eric, "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Callen!" Nell replied. "You're the best." When he did not hand it to her and his smile turned into a smirk, she groaned, "Callen, come on, not to be rude, but I don't have time for your game." She glanced at her watch.

His smirk remained in place as he said playfully, "Your hot date, can wait a minute, I'm more important."

Deeks shook his head as if that would prove that what he had just heard was a figment of his imagination, but once he glanced at Sam, he knew that it had not been. Sam was now sporting the same double take that he had, the same one that Eric still had. Kensi blinked twice shocked at the traces of possession in Callen's voice, but continued innocently to drink her soft drink, as if nothing that had happened was shocking to her. Deeks narrowed his eyes on his partner and realized that Kensi knew something that he did not.

Nell rolled her eyes, pulled the shoulder strap of the computer bag over her head, pulled the chair in front of her out, sat, and placed the bag on the floor. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "There is no hot date. I'm going to be toast when my mother finds out."

Callen asked, secretly relieved that she had no date, but completely confused, "What does your mother have anything to do with having a date?"

"Well," She swallowed; mortified that she was going to admit this in front of the men, specifically Callen. "My mother thinks that I have a boyfriend who lives with me and my parents want to meet him. Their plane lands in an hour."

Kensi interjected, "A-ha! I told you that lie was going to come back and bite you. It took a while, but it has."

Eric finally snapped out of his moment of shock, "Just tell her that it's me, they already think that I work as a news editor with you anyway, and explain to them that I'm working on a super-secret Hollywood story."

Callen glared at Eric, but quickly changed his facial features to neutral. However, he was not quick enough for no one to notice. Deeks smirked and looked at Sam, thinking that he, too, had caught it, but was disappointed when he saw that Sam watched Nell with a contemplative look. Nell slightly pursed her lips and squirmed in her chair.

Kensi saved her from answering. Kensi soothingly replied, "Eric, the reason she lied in the first place was, because her parents were worried about her living alone in Los Angeles. They think that she's too young and vulnerable. And," Kensi paused, but decided to continue after her momentarily second thought, "Well, Eric, they aren't expecting a news editor. They're expecting someone that could take down a home invader."

Deeks brow furrowed, "You've been out here three years, why are they so worried now?"

"We-e-ll," Nell drawled.

Callen open mouthed smiled, "You didn't."

"We-e-ll," Nell repeated as she slightly shrugged.

Callen laughed, "You've lied to your parents for three years." He continued to laugh before he exclaimed in mock surprise, "Naughty, naughty Nell."

Kensi, Deeks, Eric, and Sam laughed.

Nell glared and growled, "Hand me my milkshake, Agent Callen, or I'll show you, Naughty Nell."

His eyebrows raised high and his playful smile transformed into a sensual grin, his blue eyes smoldered. She swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable and overheated. Her pupils dilated, but she willed herself not to react to his teasing. She knew that he was only teasing, playing with her, as he had on and off for the past a couple of months. Although, they normally did not tease so hard or obvious in front of the team. Early on, she had rationalized their flirting into a harmless game, a game she thought he played, because she was safe to flirt with, that she would not have any expectations of him, and in return, he would have none of her.

Deeks brought her out of her trance when he asked her, "Nell, what's your favorite flavored milkshake?"

Nell blinked and looked to her right, at Deeks, confused as to the question, but she answered, "A Strawberry Oreo Layered Milk Shake with extra mint flavored Oreo pieces, and extra whipped cream, a dash of sugar, and two cherries, why?"

Kensi covered her mouth with her hand. Deeks grinned and nodded his head at Callen, impressed that he had won the small quibble with Eric. Sam rolled his eyes knowing that Callen had been right.

"What," Eric exclaimed, looked from Nell to Callen, "Y'all are tricking me like the time with Deeks and the x-ray cam. You texted someone when you and Sam got back," Eric shook his head in disbelief, "You texted Nell to answer that way."

Nell looked at Eric with wide eyes as she answered, "Eric," Her brow furrowed, "Callen did text me," She paused as Eric exclaimed that 'he knew it,' but she continued onward to correct his assumption, "But it wasn't about my milkshake, or rather, it was, but,"

Callen interrupted her, before she started on a rambling tangent, "I texted her to tell her that I had a surprise for her in the kitchen. She did not know that I got her milkshake; remember _you_ said that she did not want anything. I didn't use Nell to trick you into a bet you should have known not to take. When I bet, I win."

"Nuh-huh," Kensi interjected amused, "I can remember several times where you betted against me and lost."

"Which is why I never bet you anymore," Callen replied with a smile that said, _"I know better now."_

"Woah!" Nell exclaimed as she looked from Callen to Eric back to Callen, "You two betted on me?"

"Uh-oh," Deeks whispered to Sam, "Nothing ever good happens when a girl finds out when two guys betted on her."

Sam rolled his eyes.

Kensi threw another French fry at him, but Deeks had expected and caught it with his mouth. He grinned as he chewed it.

"Nell," Callen started to explain, but stopped when she started laughing.

Nell continued to laugh as she asked, "How much did you swindle from him?"

"A hundred," Callen answered slowly, not expecting her to laugh.

"I might not have helped you trick him," Nell stated, as she regained control of her laughing, "Callen, but you did trick him."

"See!" Eric exclaimed, before he looked at Nell, "How do you know that he tricked me? When did you change up your favorite shake?"

"Um," Nell said, "Remember when I went out in the field, with Sam and Callen, to get the Intel from that Embassy about a month ago?"

"Yes, what does that have anything to do with a milkshake?" Eric asked perplexed.

"After we left LAPD," Sam answered, "She demanded ice cream. Long story short, she got her old favorite, but got a taste of," Sam hesitated at the warning look that Callen shot him, Sam rephrased what he had planned to say, "Some mint Oreo pieces and fell in love," Sam paused for a half of a second, "With them. She went back to the counter got a side of them and mixed it in her shake. She declared that she now had a new favourite. I'm surprised she didn't go into a diabetic coma with all of the sugar in those 20 ounces."

"Demanded?" Deeks repeated. "Ice cream? She gets shot at and arrested and she wants ice cream? Dude!"

"Hey," Nell said, unaware of the silent conversation that Callen and Sam had and were having, "You do not get in between a girl and her ice cream."

Kensi back her up, "She wanted ice cream; she gets ice cream."

"Shot at!" Eric exclaimed. He had known about the arrest, because there had been a miscommunication about which side the two Agents and one Analyst had been on. He stated, obviously betrayed, "You said that you weren't in danger."

"I wasn't at risk," Nell retorted, "I was with Callen."

Sam snorted, "Danger follows Callen, it's his middle name."

Callen glared at Sam as Nell giggled. Deeks and Kensi shared a smile as Eric silently freaked out that someone had tried to shoot her and she thought it not a big deal, simply because Callen was there.

Nell gingerly touched Callen's leather jacket clad arm as she said, "It's okay, Agent G. Danger Callen, I have faith in you. You're Superman."

"Well, G. Superman drives me batty. We need to find him a Lois." Sam retorted.

"At least, he doesn't wreck you batty." Deeks chortled.

"Yeah, or twirl you batty," Kensi added.

"Enough!" Callen exclaimed, irritated not at the banter, but what Sam silently accused him of partaking in.

"I'll make it all better," Nell stated soothingly, borderline seductively as she patted his arm with her right hand and unceremoniously grabbed her milkshake with her left. Callen smirked as he met eye contact with her, before he slowly trailed his eyes from hers down her nose to her mouth then back to her eyes. He arched an eyebrow. She inhaled a shaky breath.

"Nell," Eric pouted, "I can't believe that you didn't tell me that you almost got shot. You promised me that you weren't in danger."

"Eric," Nell sighed, her eyes reluctantly leaving Callen's to look at a hurt Eric, "Was it a dangerous situation? Yes. Did I have to use a firearm? Yes. Did I panic? Absolutely, I'm not proud of it, but I did. Was I in peril? No, why; Callen and Sam were there to protect me."

"Okay," Eric accepted, but added, "From now on, you've got to be up front with me, no matter how much you think that I won't like it."

"Deal," Nell readily replied.

"Oh," Deeks said teasingly, "Now it's Callen _and_ Sam. I'm pretty sure that it was me and Kensi that busted you three out of jail."

"Shut up, signing release papers isn't busting someone out," Nell said as she playfully elbowed Deeks. After elbowing Deeks, she glanced at her watch, and sighed, "I had better go."

"Hey," Kensi asked concerned, "What are you going to tell your parents?"

"That I broke up with him." Nell replied as she exhaled.

"Won't that make them worry about you?" Callen asked, "Lying to them about a boyfriend for three years was pointless if you tell them that."

"They'll worry, true," Nell answered, "But it wasn't entirely pointless, it mostly got them off my back about dating and living in Los Angeles."

"How long they in town for?" Callen asked curiously.

"I don't know, at least until Sunday," Nell answered, her tone belaying that she wished that she knew. "Hopefully not long though, because I don't think I can live with them again for more than a few days. They're staying in my guest room. Tomorrow, we are sightseeing. Mom's got the entire weekend planned and I'm almost scared at what's on the Agenda, but her meeting the boyfriend is out of the question, she can go ahead and cross that off her list."

"No, she doesn't." Callen replied, "Since Hetty gave us all off tomorrow, I have nothing planned tomorrow, or for the weekend that matter, I'll meet them, stay the weekend."

Nell was stunned as was Sam. Sam was more stunned than Nell, because Callen had _never_ met any of his 'significant others' parents, it was one of his rules, just as no dating women in law enforcement and a relationship ends after six weeks, no exceptions.

Eric and Kensi shared a smile that Deeks caught and added his smile to duo making them a knowing trio.

Nell shook her head, "No, I couldn't ask that of you. No," Nell cleared her throat, "No, but thank you."

"Come on," Callen said, not understanding her reluctance, "You're not asking, I'm offering. What's wrong?" Callen paused, and considered what to say to make her agree to the charade, he nodded understandably, as he realized what could seriously be the issue, he hoped not, but it could be a possibility, "Is it because I'm older than you are? Will your parents have an issue with it? Do you?"

Deeks folded his lips into his mouth and looked up at the high ceiling. He felt as if the entertaining conversation had turned serious, too serious for him to witness or comment upon it.

Sam looked at Callen in disbelief and almost in disappointment,_ 'pulling the age card is low G,'_

Kensi shook her head and took a bite of her sandwich.

Eric took a sip of his smoothie to prevent him from answering the question for Nell. He knew that she would kill him if he did.

Nell answered after several seconds of contemplation, "Callen, I appreciate your offer, I really really do, but I don't think you'd enjoy spending the weekend at my place," She closed her eyes and a small telltale blush materialized on her cheeks.

Callen touched his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he bit his top lip from acknowledging what she had innocently said or the not so innocent implication behind it. He swallowed and arched an eyebrow at how she stuttered. He loved flustering her. He enjoyed seeing her vulnerable and not in control. Her embarrassment was amusing to him. She had a touch of innocence that he had never had. She was good and sweet where he was bad and bitter.

"I mean," Nell found her voice, winced, but continued, "Yeah, that's exactly what I meant. My place is boring and with my parents there, well, I don't want to be disrespectful about them, but you'll find them boring."

He cleared his throat, "I'm sure that your parents are not boring, but if they are, I'll enjoy meeting them. Perhaps I need a dash of boring in my life occasionally. I can't jump from burning buildings and moving cars all the time." She smiled and he commented on the smile, "See, you smiled, you know it's a win-win for everyone. Your parents get to meet the guy that they think protects you, you get them off your back, and I get a boring weekend free of burning buildings and moving cars."

Nell exhaled. She glanced at Eric, Kensi, Sam, then at Deeks. They all had various looks of amusement and shock written across their faces. She pursed her lips and said, "Okay, but you can back out at any time. If they or me get to be too much, just say so, and we'll stage a fight, and you can leave."

"I won't need an out, but thank you," Callen replied, before he asked curious as to the 'alias' he would slip into, "What's his name?"

Nell mumbled something no one understood, except for one.

"What!" Deeks exclaimed joyously as he heard what she said. He started to sing, "Here's the story, of a lovely lady…"

Nell sighed and quickly interrupted him, "Don't judge me Marty. The Brady Bunch is a perfectly respectful sitcom."

Kensi grinned in realization, "You didn't! Please tell me that you didn't use his last name, too."

"Kensi," Nell exclaimed, "I couldn't think of a name, but no, I never gave anyone a last name, because I was afraid they'd background check him."

"Background check?" Deeks repeated skeptical.

"Yes, my dad is," She paused, searching for the nicest correct term, "Thorough at being overprotective. There are one hundred cops in California with that name. I didn't want my dad to find a discrepancy in my story. I thought that if they thought I lived with a cop, that they wouldn't worry so much."

"A cop?" Deeks half-joked, "Forget Callen, I'll meet your parents, I have the badge to boot. Backstop me an alias."

Callen openly glared at Deeks as he interjected, "I'm not following, what is the guy's name?" He glanced at Nell, taking note of her severe embarrassment and uncomfortable body language, he didn't find this sort of embarrassment amusing as he had her earlier blush, "I need to know what you've told them so that _I_ don't contradict it."

Deeks cheekily answered, "Glass, George Glass." He laughed, "Our little Nell Bell and Jan Brady share an imaginary boyfriend."

"George?" Sam repeated incredulous, before surrendering to bales of laughter at the coincidence of George and G.

"Yeah," Nell replied uncomfortable, unable to meet eye contact with Callen, "George."

Callen shrugged non-pulsed "Well, at least I can use my real name. It wouldn't necessary be a lie." He smirked as he unclipped his badge from his built. He tossed it unto the table in front of him as he looked at Deeks, "I have a badge to back it up without an alias."

Nell interjected as she fidgeted, "Oh no, Callen, I can backstop an alias for you on my tablet, give me five minutes."

"No," Callen firmly replied, "No, if I'm going to meet your parents, it's going to be as G. Callen, not some made up alias."


	2. Chapter 2

**_5,000 plus words, because there was simply not, in my opinion, an acceptable breaking point. Hope you enjoy._**

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**Chapter Two, Don't Ever Let It End**

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**_Thursday, 6:57 PM_**

**_Los Angeles International Airport_**

**_Terminal 5 Gate 53B_**

"This isn't going to work," Nell exclaimed nervously as she sat beside Callen on the airport chair bench against the wall in the far corner of the waiting area. Her parents' flight had been delayed, but the plane was now in voyage, according to the polite and efficient customer service representative stationed at the desk near the Gate.

"Nell, come on," Callen replied, turning on the bench to face her, he placed his left foot behind his right knee, his left elbow on the back of the bench, and his left cheek bone against his closed left fist. "We've been through this, what, three times now?" He asked. "Your parents are going to love me," He rolled his eyes at how stubborn she was being. He joked, "I'm a very loveable person when I'm not shooting, chasing, or glaring at you."

"Them loving you isn't the issue," She answered. She crossed her arms and bit her bottom lip as she stared ahead of her, people watching.

"Then what is the issue?" He asked watching her profile.

She looked at Callen from the corner of her right eye, "My parents are smart. I'm not a freak of nature; I'm a product of them." She sighed, "Kensi was right; I should not have lied." She nibbled her bottom lip, before she predicted, "They're going to see through our charade."

Curious and almost amused, as to why she thought that he could not persuade her parents that he was her boyfriend. The idea that he could not persuade her parents that he was her boyfriend was preposterous when he practically every day persuaded terrorists and professional criminals that he was someone else entirely. He continued to watch her as he asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I just do." She replied, not wanting to vocalize her reasoning.

"Come on, Nell." He prodded, "I think that you owe me that much. I'm trying to help you out here. Have you remembered something that you told them? Is George supposed to taller? Have an accent? Have crinkly dark blonde hair?" He lightly nudged her left shoulder with his right hand as he playfully asked, "Am I not pretty enough?"

She shook her head as she tried to hide a smile, "Nope, you might be too pretty."

He chuckled, "I knew my good lucks would one day work against me." He snapped his fingers as if he had an epiphany, "I know." He playfully said while he smiled and slowly nodded, "It's the eyes, just another family curse I was born with."

She turned on the bench, mirrored his pose, and looked into the beautiful blue eyes that he blamed solely, however playfully, for his good looks. When she heard him jokingly refer to the blood feud the Comescu crime family had against his family, his family that were killed, because of the feud, it spoke volumes to her on a personal level, how comfortable he felt with her, how much he trusted her. He was being so open with her, when he was usually a closed book to everyone, and it made her feel like a cad, that she felt she needed to guard her secrets, her insecurities. She awkwardly smiled, "I can think of a few other things that are too pretty."

"Really?" He smirked. He was intrigued, "Pray tell."

"Your eyebrows," She nodded as she answered in the most serious tone she could muster.

"My eyebrows?" He laughed. She smiled. She loved his laugh. It was rare to see him openly smile or laugh. His smirk and dry sense of humor, on the other hand, was a staple. She loved it all, but his laugh and genuine smiles were special, because he only showed those to people he trusted, people he was at ease with. The number of slots on that list was small and she was grateful that she had been included.

"Yeah," She answered, in the serious tone she used before, "Those beautiful blues have to have a pretty frame."

"You're a dork," He smiled, the corner of his eyes crinkling, another tell proving how open, and shockingly at ease he was.

"Yeah," She agreed, nodded, and made a motion with her left index finger toward him then to her. "And," She drawled, "That's really the issue. You are too pretty and I'm too dorky. Well," She paused, "It's not just that, my parents won't believe that I snagged such a wonderful guy, and you are wonderful, Callen, no matter what you may think or say."

His blue eyes narrowed a fraction and his jaw clenched once, as he automatically started to close off, but just as quickly as he began to guard himself from rejection, he opened himself to accept her. He knew that in a crowded airport waiting on her parents' flight to arrive was not the right time for the discussion he wanted to have concerning her comment, to address her insecurities, that conversation would be private and at a time where she could not easily escape from it. He could not allow her to continue to think that the mere idea of them together, whether pretending or not, was preposterous. He knew his strengths as a person, and he had used his appearance several times to get what he wanted or needed, too many times to count, some he was not proud to ever say aloud. However, he had realized at a young age, while still on the streets, that a well-timed smile or look, sometimes more, could assist him, when nothing else could or would. His good looks had saved him several times, although it had also vexed him a few, as well. Unfortunately, it seemed, as now was a time of vexation.

He considered his wording and kept hitting a wall, because truly there was no perfect wording to say without having the discussion they would have at the next opportune time. He pursed his lips as he watched Nell watch him. He decided to revert to charm, another strength of his, and however teasingly as it was, it got his very much so serious point across, "I have a thing for dorks." He paused to gauge her reaction. Her lips slightly parted, her eyes widened just so while they began to dilate, and a marginal blush formed on her jaw, under the foundation and concealer she wore. He asked, "You know why?"

She cleared her throat and firmly set her mouth as she shook her head no, not trusting herself to speak.

However, he refused to allow her to cower. He respected her too much for her to continue to hoard her insecurities that he felt that someone had drilled into her. If he ever stumbled upon who that person was, he would drill his fist into their jaw so the person could not crush other young women's self-worth. "Guess," He demanded.

She pursed her lips, shortly glared at him, before reluctantly deferring to his demand. However, instead of keeping eye contact, her eyes trailed to his forehead, to the point of his hairline. She thought over her answer, not knowing what the answer could be, because in her experience guys like him, didn't have a thing for girls like her, they went for girls like Kensi or her sisters, all of whom she loved dearly. "Dorks do it better?"

He tilted his head to the side and gave her a look that he had expected a better guess. He exhaled, "No, Nell, my preference doesn't have anything to do with sex," He paused and amended his statement, because he expected her to tell him the truth, so he must give her the same courtesy; he smirked, "Well, not completely."

She smiled and reinitiated eye contact. "Callen, I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate it, but when it's just me and you, please don't play a part."

"Who says I'm playing a part?" He retorted, all playfulness melted away to leave an intensity and seriousness in his eyes and body language that shook her to her core.

She blinked and was speechless. He could sense that she was having an inner meltdown, processing and over analyzing the meaning behind his comment, or perhaps astutely realizing what he had meant and freaking out, because of it. The look in her eyes reminded him of a deer caught in a car's headlights, but not any sort of deer, a baby deer just venturing into the big bad world, and he was the big bad wolf that had cornered it.

He nudged her right knee with his left hand, "Hey, I told you earlier before we left the office, that I'm meeting your parents as me, G. Callen, not an alias, not some fictional boyfriend that you created as a buffer between them and their worry for you." He paused, and was relieved that the look she had reminiscent of being trapped, had started to melt away. "I respect your parents for raising such a wonderful woman, you. I'm not going to lie to them."

Her brow furrowed, "But _we_ _are_ lying to them, Callen." She made a motion with her left hand indicating herself then him, as she continued, "We aren't together and you don't live with me."

"Semantics," He replied as he shrugged, "If I never _say_ that I live with you and if I never outright _label_ us together then _I_ am _not_ lying to them."

"But you're staying the weekend while they're here, right?" She asked slowly.

"Yes," He nodded, "And, we'll behave like a couple that's been together, for what? How long have we been together?"

She blinked, thinking that the conversation was entirely too surreal, and he was entirely too calm discussing such a long-term relationship, no matter how fake the relationship, when he was a man whom had rules about not having relationships. He had flings that lasted no more than six weeks, often much less than that.

He arched an eyebrow and waved his right hand in front of her. She winced in embarrassment for zoning out. He smiled.

"Three years." She answered, uncomfortable, "We discussed this back at the office."

"So," He drawled, his astute perception zeroed in on her unease. He was intrigued; why was she uncomfortable with answering the question? She seemed more embarrassed about that than the actual thing with a pretend boyfriend. Most women that he had known over the years would be more mortified to admit that they had made up some guy as a boyfriend than admit how long the lie had been in place. However, he was fortunate enough to realize that Nell was unlike any other woman that he had met. Sure, there were similarities between her and a few of the women that he had dated in the past, but Nell was Nell, and she was unique. "The entire time you've been with NCIS?"

"Yes," She answered stiffly.

"What's up, Nell?" He asked interested in her sudden change of mood, "Talk to me, what's wrong?" He paused and narrowed his eyes, "And don't give me that crap you said earlier about worrying about your parents seeing through us, because you know what you parents are going to see when they look at us?" He leaned slightly forward to her, his eyes sparkling in mischief, and his lips forming a seductive smirk. She slowly shook her head no, completely enthralled with him. He tenderly, though shortly touched her jaw. Her breath hitched. He grabbed her left hand in his right and gently held it as he answered, "They're going to see a man and woman so attracted to each other that they're going to come to two conclusions." He paused as he watched her swallow before she tried subtly to disentangle their hands, but he adeptly linked their fingers together to prevent her from succeeding.

"Callen," She whispered in warning as she narrowed her eyes at him. If he implied or directly said anything sensual or sexual from the supposed viewpoint of her parents, she was going to wipe his smirk, seductive or not, off his mouth.

He recognized the quiet warning, but continued in spite of it, or rather because of it. She needed to hear positive enforcement so that her insecurities would crumble. "One, that their baby girl is grown up, and two, the woman that baby girl turned out to be is in good hands."

She exhaled. She had not expected either of those 'conclusions.' She felt horrible for doubting him, for thinking that the conclusions would be of a sensitive nature. She shook her head and not for the first time, she thought that Tracy Rossetti was an idiot.

His lips formed a large extremely smug smile. "I agree," He stated as he tightened his fingers through hers, in a supportive squeeze; right palm against left palm.

She closed her eyes in mortification at the realization that she had thought, said aloud that his ex-wife was an idiot.

With his left hand, he nudged her right shoulder, "Nell, honey, look at me."

Her eyes popped opened at his usage of the endearment honey.

"If I remember correctly," He continued, his right eyebrow arched in amusement, "You were quick on the draw to make your opinion of her intelligence known way back when, too. You'd been with the team how long when her case come along? A little over a month?"

She nodded, with pursed lips, not appreciating the trip down memory lane to a time near when she had badly handled her crush on him. The first few weeks with the team had been awkward interruption after interruption and finished sentence. She had finally learned to manage her hero worship when he had turned the tables on her, and started interrupting her and finishing her sentences. Then they had joined forces against Marty, because he had been swindling the support staff out of money with his shady card game. It had been easier for Nell to ignore Callen and admire him from afar when he made her feel like a member of the team, instead of the new Intelligence Analyst that he had expected to be transferred, because of Hetty's aversion to most Intelligence Analysts. Nell Jones was not most women, let alone most Intelligence Analysts.

He continued, "You impressed me with your skill set, but your blunt comments and questions, and your fearlessness is what intrigued me."

"Really?" She asked, not buying what he was saying, "That's not how I remember it."

"Really?" He repeated what she said, "That's not how _I_ remember it."

"Callen," She firmly admonished. "Seriously," She rolled her eyes, "You were irritated with me not intrigued. You targeted me with snide, though subtle comments to me during the entire Rossetti case, up until you and Sam came back from the Cayman Islands," She added under her breath, "With the tramp."

He folded his lips into his mouth and bit down, in order not to call her out on what she had said under her breath. He found her jealously endearing and sexy. She had claws and knew how to use them. "Did you ever stop and think why I targeted you?" He asked, placing his left elbow against the back of the bench. He placed his left thumb under the side of his left jaw. The left side of his face rested against his left index finger.

"Several times," She nodded.

"What were your theories?" He asked, curious to see if she had noticed his attraction, his interest for her even then, before he had come to terms with it. Unsurprisingly, Sam had caught unto it when they had arrived at the scene of the hostage crisis at the Naval Recruitment Center; Callen had mistakenly made the condescending remark to her about her running away from home and not taking candy from strangers. Sam had grinned and shook his head, because those two comments had revealed much more than Callen had, at that moment realized or wanted to reveal. With one comment, Callen had deflected his deep-seated hurt about Tracy leaving him onto Nell (running away from home) and the other comment had revealed his inner turmoil about the age difference between him and Nell and his fear that she too would leave him for an outsider as Tracy had done (don't take candy from strangers). Nell had been twenty, he forty. The age difference had obviously not changed, still twenty years, but he felt more at ease now with it, than he had in the beginning.

"That I was an easy mark." She answered immediately.

He shook his head, "No, that wasn't it. You didn't know me very well back then, but you should know now that I don't do anything easy. I love a challenge." He smirked, his blue eyes smoldered. She arched an eyebrow and met his gaze with an inquisitive one. "The reward is so much sweeter."

Her heartbeat sped up and butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she recognized his double meaning. She did not look away from his scorching blue eyes, his gaze had hers pinned. She could not have looked away, if she had wanted to, which she did not. She was almost reluctant to take their flirting further than that, flirting. Their flirting had, at times, been borderline seductive, but this, was neither flirting nor borderline seduction, and it was now teasingly blatant. She liked how it had been before, without expectations, because when there were no expectations, she could not be justly disappointed or hurt when he decided that he no longer wanted to play their game. She had not expected their flirting to go anywhere, oh how she had allowed herself to dream, and even want, but never did she knowingly allow herself to expect anything from him. However, it was now obvious to her that he now had an expectation of her as she now had of him. If she were honest with herself, she had had many anticipations of him for a while deeply ingrained in her most secret fantasies. Rather drunkenly, over a year ago, she had admitted several of those fantasies to Kensi.

She was not certain as to when their expectations would culminate, but she looked forward to it. The anticipation made her warm and flush. She swallowed. She leaned forward just a tad, her eyebrow still arched as she maintained eye contact, looking much more assured of herself than she actually was. She slowly and seductively smiled as her thumb caressed his warm skin as her fingers clenched and unclenched as they held hands, "Sometimes, the challenge is _harder_ than it needs to be, when the reward _wants_ to be devoured."

His eyebrows shot upward as he felt his blood rush downward. The conversation had quickly transformed from flirting to subtle seduction to the early stage of foreplay. He swallowed as his mouth became dry. He wanted her, had wanted her for some time, but he now knew that they were approaching a territory that neither were actually ready to enter. Oh how he wanted, needed her, but he refused to take advantage of her, and he felt as if that would be the exact thing he would do if he made love to her when he now knew she had insecurities of the idea of being with him. He wanted a bond with her that went further than the friendship and flirting they had established, further than the physical intimacy that they both craved, further that what he would normally be comfortable wanting; he wanted a relationship with her. Her honest hazel eyes revealed to him that she wanted one, too. He was uncertain whether she had realized it yet, but he decided that over the course of the next few days, he would give her a taste of what they could be like together. Although, he would use the situation, her lie, and to an extent her trust, he could not find it within himself to care.

The temperature between them was high and he needed to reign in not only himself, but the conversation as well. However, he could not resist a parting shot in their battle of wills, to assert his dominance, to confirm for her that he was attracted to her. To ease an insecurity or so that is what he told himself when he leaned toward her, smirked, and placed his left hand lightly on her dark denim-jean clad thigh, several inches above her knee. Her breath caught. Her abductor muscles twitched in anticipation. The skin under the denim he touched simmered. She craved his touch; a touch not prohibited by the layer of denim. The butterflies in her stomach multiplied and flurried in pursuit of a release, relief.

She closed her eyes as he lightly flexed his fingers around the denim, slowly sliding his palm forward against the denim, upward away from her knee, closer to the apex of her thighs. She inhaled shallowly and swallowed. Her mouth parted slightly enough for a shaky gasp to escape. His hand came to a stop, a few inches from where she desperately wanted him to be. She had never been so aroused by him than in this moment. That high arousal had made her forget where and whom they were. She was no longer Nell Jones, Intelligence Analyst, and he no longer G. Callen, legendary Agent. They were simply a man and woman who wanted the same thing, each other. The sounds of the bustling airport faded as they each focused on the other. She whimpered when she felt his fingers switch from flexing and lightly squeezing to deliberately kneading. Her simple pink shadowed eyelids languidly opened to reveal enlarged dilated pupils, the hazel color of her eyes sparkled. His smirk faltered and he almost groaned, but instead he swallowed as he initiated eye contact.

He said, in a lower, seductive tone of voice that made her shiver and raise gooseflesh across her skin, "Believe me," He glanced at her mouth. Her pink tongue darted out of her mouth and quickly moistened her parted lips. His piercing blue eyes followed her tongue until it returned to its dark alcove. His eyes snapped back to hers and he smiled in satisfaction. Her body language was open, trusting, and exposed her desire. He slid his hand up the outer side of her thigh, over her hip, and rested on her hip, his thumb slid through the denim belt loop, and curled around it. He titled his head to the right and leaned his upper torso and face toward her more, to the point where three inches of space separated their lips. She bit her bottom lip and moaned in disappointment when their lips did not meet. Instead, his lips found the warm skin of her right cheekbone. His slightly parted lips ghosted across her flushed skin to her ear. The stubble of his beard on his chin and jaw teased the side of her face and ear as he nestled his mouth against the upper most shell of her ear. A trembling tingle trailed down her spine traitorously slow.

The vague floral scent of the shampoo she had used in her morning shower combined with the light scent of her arousal filled his nostrils and his eyes closed as he appreciated the aroma. His cologne and his own unique scent made her lightheaded, amplifying the desire she felt. She quivered in anticipation as she brought her right hand to the side of his neck. Mindlessly, she caressed the skin behind and below his ear on his neck nearer his earlobe than hairline. He quietly moaned when her nails raked across his skin as she alternated between caringly caressing and simply holding. He whispered his voice thick and rumbling, "You'll enjoy how _hard_ it is."

She gasped and leaned her head back and she gently guided his backward. The searing sensual sparkle in his blue eyes signaled something within her, creating the courage and spirit for her to simultaneously submit and dominate the desire she felt for him, and he her. She kissed him affectively disarming him of the dominance he had thus far held in the seduction. Her eyes fluttered closed. Their lips intertwined slowly, teasingly, almost uncertain for several seconds. The stubble of his thin beard prickled her skin and she moaned. He released her left hand and brought his right hand to her neck bringing her ever closer. He angled his head and the kiss transformed from sensual brushes of the lips to scorching open-mouthed kisses. He tasted like cherry from the tootsie roll pop he had eaten on the way to the airport and the chocolate shake he had finished before leaving the office. She tasted like strawberries, Oreos, whipped cream, and mint. He had once teased her about the different sugary flavours of her favourite shake not mixing well, but tasting it this way, he had changed his verdict. Her favourite was now his favourite as long as he could always taste it in this exact way.

His left hand on her right hip came to rest on the right side of her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned as his tongue slowly slithered across her bottom lip. She whimpered, opened her mouth, and teasingly tapped his tongue with hers. He groaned and threaded his fingers in her hair as he deepened the kiss; more tension, more touch, more tongue, more teeth. She mewled deep within her throat and made breathy whispery sounds of delight as she lightly gasped for air. The sensations he caused within her combined with the lack of oxygen made her movements shaky. Her lips trembled and her tongue quivered against his. Although, she had initiated the kiss, there was no mistaking who now controlled it. He grazed his teeth over her bottom lip, gently nibbling, and playfully tugged it into his mouth.

A loud shrill alarm and a clear voice through the intercom system jarred them from their private world, the kiss was broken, and their intense intimate moment faded. He hugged her and placed his forehead on her shoulder as she nuzzled his neck and returned the hug.

"Callen," She whispered her tone inquisitive.

"Shh," He murmured against her neck, his voice thick with desire. "Don't analyse it."

She blinked and went to pull away misunderstanding his comment, mistaking it for regret, but he tightened the embrace, placed his lips against her ear and murmured, "Nell, please. We'll talk about it and more, I promise, just not now."

She sighed, placed her head back on his shoulder, and nodded.

"Was that your parents' plane that's arrival was just announced?" He asked his voice not as thick as before, though not quite normal either.

"What announcement?" She asked perplexed.

He smirked, leaned back, and looked down at her as she looked up from where she rested her head against his shoulder, "You do my ego wonders."

She rolled her eyes and retorted, "Pfft, whatever, like your ego needs stroking."

He snickered, "I agree, not my ego."

Scandalized, her mouth parted. She pulled away from the embrace and playfully pushed his shoulder. She repositioned her body so that her back rested against the back of the bench. Her stiletto heeled boots firmly on the floor. She smiled and turned her head to look at him as she said, "The only thing that's getting stroked tonight, Agent Callen, is your pretty eyebrows."

He chuckled, tilted his head as if in consideration, and his lips formed an sluggish smile, before he declared, "Hmhp, it's a start," He nudged her shoulder, mirrored her position, and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders as he continued, "My pretty eyebrows like you, you're the first one to ever acknowledge their beauty."

"Now that's a shame," She clucked her tongue playfully, "Just think of all the women that you could have laid if only they had appreciated the beauty of arched perfection."

"Oh, trust me, they appreciated my arched perfection so much they moaned my name." He retorted before tightening his hold around her shoulders, supportively, as if to say that she was the one now in his arms that those women did not matter. "But, now I have my eye on this beautiful firecracker," He admitted before he teased, "I don't know if I'll be able to handle _her_ arched perfection, after all, she's such a young athletic thing." He sighed, "I bet she's flexible."

"Really?" She asked as she looked up at him and bit her lip. He nodded as he watched her nipple on the lip that he had been moments before. She smiled evilly and his eyes narrowed, "I know she's flexible." He smirked, but the smirk fell when she continued, "She's the most flexible in the Yoga class that we occasionally go to. The things Kensi can do with those long legs of hers…"

"Nell!" He exclaimed, now his turn to be scandalized, "Don't." He closed his eyes, "Don't _ever_ do that to me ever again. Never bring up Kensi in a sexual way." He cringed.

She had been joking about Kensi, but she still called him out on his horror, "It's okay, Callen. She's a brunette bombshell. You can't tell me that you never thought about her in a sexual way."

He glared at her, before he retorted, almost offended, "Yes, I can tell you that. Kensi is like my little sister."

She shook her head, "I can't believe that. Kensi's like your sister _now_, but what about before you knew who she was as a person, how she meant to you? She's beautiful, intelligent, and brunette."

The way she worded her comment revealed another one of her insecurities to him; one that he was not happy at all that she had. He tilted his head as he looked at her. His eyes narrowed into slits before snapping open. "Kensi is not Tracy." He said tensely, winning the struggle to not growl. "I don't date or have sex with women in law enforcement, because of Tracy. So before I got to know Kensi the only thing that I saw when I looked or thought about her was her badge and handcuffs. Is Kensi beautiful? Yes, she is, but I don't see her beauty in a sensual or sexual way."

She blinked, bit back the burning tears in her throat, and swallowed the unshed sobs. She had heard about his rule on dating women in law enforcement when she had first joined NCIS through the support staff, but she had hoped that the rumor had misunderstood something as many rumors that held truth did. The ferocity in which he told what he told her hurt her more than she wanted to admit even to herself. What little hope that she held unto that they could become something was squashed, because she was in law enforcement. She was hurt and confused. He had said that he did not have sex with women in law enforcement, either, but what did the earlier foreplay and innuendo mean? She looked away from him and began to people watch again.

He recognized the hurt and confusion before she had looked away and immediately he went to set it right, but he misinterpreted what had caused it, "You, on the other hand, are beautiful. When I look at you,"

She interrupted him by jumping to her feet. She waved her arms and called out, "Mom! Dad!"

Her parents neither heard nor seen her as they stood in a long line at one of the coffee stands to the immediate right of the Gate.

She looked at Callen who shook his head and stood. She extended her right hand and he took it. Instantly, their fingers intertwined. She looked up at him and asked nervously, "You ready to meet them? You still have time to run; I don't think they saw us."

Reluctant to end their conversation as it had, he allowed the issue to rest, but he filed it away for them to discuss at the next opportune time.

He smiled, "I'm ready." He then asked, eyebrow arched, "The question is are _you_ ready for me to meet them?"

She smiled in reply, however he recognized that it was forced, though he did not call her out on it.

As they walked toward her parents, she considered his question, and concluded that no, she was not ready for her parents to meet the man she loved.

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**_Thank you for reading. I appreciate the readership and all of the alerts, favourites, and reviews. :-)_**


	3. Chapter 3

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**Chapter Three, Don't Ever Let It End**

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_**Thursday, 7:21 PM**_

_**Los Angeles International Airport**_

_**Terminal 5 Gate 53B**_

_**Coffee Shop**_

As Nell and Callen walked hand-in-hand toward her parents, Callen asked, "How do you feel about PDA in front of them?"

Nell's brow furrowed as they continued to walk, before she answered, "Well, honestly, Callen, after the peep show that we gave anyone who looked our way a few minutes ago, I don't see how PDA would be an issue for you."

He stopped and she stopped when she realized that he had. They stepped to the side so not to stand in the way of traffic. He looked down at her, his blue eyes serious as he stated, "Seriously, Nell, this isn't some peeping tom strangers at an airport. It's your parents who you love dearly and respect. I'm asking again, and I want an answer, a serious answer," He repeated his question in the same no nonsense tone. "How do you feel about PDA?"

She rolled her eyes, "Really Callen, there won't be a need for it."

He glanced upward and neutrally asked, "Nell, have you ever been in a serious relationship?"

She flinched and retorted snidely, "Callen, have you ever been in an honest relationship?"

He grimaced and conceded, "Touche."

She blanched when she realized what she had said, "Oh my God, I'm _so_ sorry, Callen."

He shook his head, "No, it's alright, don't apologize."

She shook her head and brought her left hand up to his jaw. She gently caressed it, the stubble prickling against her skin. She cupped the side of his face and he turned his face toward her palm. "No, it's not alright. I shouldn't have lashed out at you over a legitimate question." She swallowed, "I suppose light PDA is fine, if you want, since we are supposed to convince them that we're together. Handholding, hugs, light caresses are okay." She swallowed, "And I suppose pecks, innocent kisses are okay, too. Just don't try to seduce me," She joked nervously.

"There goes that plan," He replied dryly, "I'll have to postpone that one until after they go back home." He saw her eyes widened, and he continued quickly to distract her, "What are your parent's names? I can't remember."

"Franklin and Emma Jones," She answered, her brow furrowed as she analyzed what he said about waiting to seduce her. She shook her head, deciding that right now was not the time to analyze it, but she did confess, answer his earlier question, "I was in a serious relationship in college, but it didn't work out. I don't want to talk about it right now, but if you really want to know about it, I'll tell you sometime, just, just," She paused, swallowed, and continued, "Not around my parents, okay?" She sighed deeply almost regretfully, "After all, I know about Trampetti."

He snorted, grinned, and pulled her into a hug, flush against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on his shoulders as if he were an anchor holding her upward. "I think I'm going to keep you around."

She scrunched her nose up and playfully replied, "Eh, whatever, I won both Hetty and Sam over. You're stuck with me."

"Hmm," He murmured, a smirk slowly forming, "I suppose you're right, not many women have passed both the Hetty and Sam test."

He did not feel the need to tell her that no other woman had ever passed those tests, because no one had taken either. No woman had gotten close enough to know the real him. Tracy and Kristin had been the closest one's ever to get to G. Callen, but neither had truly succeeded, because no matter how much he had cared about them, he had been more alias than true.

"You've got to pass the parents' test," She retorted playfully, "You passed the Eric test before I met either one of you. I swear, sometimes I wonder who has the biggest crush on you; me or him." Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened in realization of what she had said. She dropped her hand from his face and went to step backward out of the hug. He clasped his hands together behind her back to prevent her from retreating. His facial expression did not reveal what he thought of her revelation. She swallowed and tried to fix her faux pas. Awkwardly, nervously, she asked, "You've met Mimi and Kim right? Pretty sure they're on the Support Staff. They adore you."

The neutrality of his facial features transformed upon hearing her white lie. His eyes sparkled, both eyebrows arched in amusement, his nose and upper lip twitched, before his lips formed a smug open mouth grin, "Huh-uh, Mimi and Kim, huh? Support Staff, I'm sure they are Tech and Intelligence, right?" He asked, playing along, "What's their last names?"

"Um," She paused as she wacked her brain for suitable last names, "Bones and Jill." She nodded as she winced, knowing that she was only digging a deeper hole to climb out of. He nodded and smiled as he continued to play along, to listen to her fib. "Mimi Bones and Kim Jill."

"Hmm," He said as he stared down at her. She smiled awkwardly. He smoothed a hand down her back, the dark denim of her jacket protested under the strength of his hand and over the thin carnation pink and pristine white plaid blouse. He teasingly stated as his open-mouthed smug smile widened, "Tell me more about this Mimi Bones. Kim Jill has a case of hero worship; it's different from a crush. It's like little girls looking up to Tiana or some other Disney Princess."

She swallowed and said, "Maybe some other time, Mimi is a private person, I shouldn't have ratted her out." She paused, blinked, and swallowed again as he grinned and nodded at absurdity of how far she would go to protect her slip of tongue, to weave a story to protect it. She tilted her head toward the line to the coffee shop, diagonally a few yards away. "My parents are nearing the counter." Suddenly, her brow furrowed. Her eyes sparkled in both humour and pleasant surprise. Her mouth formed a knowing smile, "Tiana? Really Callen?"

"What?" He answered curiously, not understanding either her amusement or surprise.

"You've seen Princess and the Frog." She giggled as she placed both of her hands on either side of his neck, her thumbs brushing across the smooth skin of the front of his throat. Her nails slightly raked across the exposed skin. He closed his eyes before snapping them back open, focusing on her hypnotic hazel eyes instead of the nails needling his control, attempting to distract him from her confession, by raking and digging the short, sharp edges across erogenous zones of his neck.

"So?" He retorted, reigning in his desire, as he slightly shrugged his shoulders successfully dislodging her fingers from his neck. She was going to drive him crazy over the next few days. She slid her hands from his neck. Her left hand gently held unto his right shoulder as her right hand rested on his chest, against the leather of his jacket. "I've probably seen _every_ Princess movie, at some point."

"Callen," She admitted, as she giggled freely, "That is adorable."

"Adorable, huh?" He asked, his eyes narrowed recognizing the reasoning behind her earlier humour and surprise. He playfully continued, "I don't appreciate being stereotyped. I'm secure in my masculinity to admit that I can cry during a chick flick. I couldn't look at a dog for a month after I watched, _Marley and Me_."

She nodded slowly and tried to look serious, but failed when she smiled, "Awe, poor baby, it was a sad movie." She admitted. Apprehensively, she asked, "You watched it with Sam didn't you?"

He blinked confused as to how the topic of Sam had entered the conversation, "Sam?

She nodded, "Yeah, with his family?"

He smiled genuinely, not seeing any harm in answering the generalized question, "_Marley and Me_, yeah. _The Princess and The Frog_, Sage conned me into taking her to the movies to see."

"Sage?" She asked hesitant, interest piqued, because she knew nothing about Sam's daughter. Although, because of personnel files, she had access to during the Khaled case, she knew that his wife's name was Sabrina, and he had no sisters, so Sage had to be his daughter, but she wanted confirmation, because after all, it could be a mother or aunt. She was hesitant on continuing her line of questioning, because Callen was protective of Sam, of his privacy, but she knew that if Callen answered her questions, he trusted her immensely, and hopefully cared about her, regardless of his rule about women and law enforcement. "Is," She paused, "Is Sage, Sam's daughter?"

He was silent for several seconds as he watched the emotions change in her eyes and across her face as she felt the emotions. He almost changed the subject, not wanting to answer the question, but when he saw doubt and touch of fear in her eyes, he knew that if he wanted a real chance at a relationship with her that he had to answer, confide in her about Sam and his family. The truth was that Sam, Sabrina, and Sage were as close to an immediate family that he had ever had. He loved them, they were his brother, sister-in-law, and niece in every way that mattered.

He swallowed and answered his tone of voice raw, vulnerable. "Yeah, her name is Samantha Sage, but everyone calls her Sage. She's six." He paused as he recognized her sheer surprise that she had expected him not to answer, but she had asked anyway. Suddenly, he felt as if he had passed a test that he was not sure that she knew that she had given him, but her look of surprise proved to him, that she knew that _she_ had passed one. With the fingers on his right hand, he gently, mindlessly rubbed circles against her lower back as he continued to embrace her. He continued, his voice breaking once, "She's named after Sam, Sabrina, and me." He had never told anyone that nor had he told anyone what he continued to confess, his voice breaking ever so often. "There's no words to describe how honoured I felt when Sam told me that he had decided on Sage as her middle name, because it combined the two people's name's that he cared about the most into one name."

"Sabrina and G." She whispered. She had never heard him so vulnerable before and it touched her heart.

"Yep." He answered, cleared his throat.

She caressed the ride side of his face with her left hand and trailed her fingers down his neck before she gently patted his right shoulder and squeezed it in gratitude that he trusted her, in reassurance that she would not betray him. She changed the subject, because she feared pushing him too much too soon. "I have to ask, is it true that you like to cuddle kittens?"

"Is that all you and Kensi do," He retorted as he chuckled, thankful for her tact. "Is talk about me?"

"No," She shook her head slowly. She smiled, but it was not as bright as it had been. Did he know about the talks that she and Kensi had over the past year about how Nell felt about him? Of course, not, she decided; Kensi would never betray her trust. Her smile brightened as she answered, "We talk about Deeks, too. And Sam. And Hetty. And Eric. And food. Definitely food."

"So," He drawled, he circled his head in a nodding motion as he teased, "Does Mimi Bones ever join you two in your girl talk sessions?"

Nell swallowed and awkwardly answered, "I, um…Mimi…I don't think Kensi knows who Mimi is."

"Hmm," He replied, pretending to contemplate his answer. "Women normally share their fantasies during girl talk. You and Kensi ever share?"

"Fantasies?" She squeaked. She grimaced when he tightened the hold of his embrace to prevent her from retreating. There was now no space between them whatsoever from her chest to her knees. She blinked, her pupils dilated to form small black buttons, the hazel of her eyes thin ribbons. "Um…who has time for those?"

"Uh-huh, _sure_," He drawled, his voice thickened with traces of the vulnerability still present. He bent his head and pecked her on the lips twice, before he stopped a breath away from her lips. He stared into her half-lidded eyes as he teasingly stated, "If you ever find time to have them, I'm willing to listen to them." She exhaled a shaky breath. He continued, his voice lowering several decibels as he butterfly kissed her parted lips, "Help you make them a reality."

"G." She groaned as she brought her hands to either side of his face and changed the sweet butterfly kisses to a fevered steamy kiss. He brought his hands to either side of her neck. The use of his first name, first letter, on her lips turned him on more than the way she rubbed against him and methodically attacked his lips. That realization alarmed him when hardly anything ever scared him. He used his hands on her neck as advantage gently to push her away. His bottom lip scraped by her teeth as He took a step back, their embrace ending. He placed his left hand in his front blue jean pocket and his right rubbed his neck.

"Callen?" She whispered, uncertain, hurt over the gentle rejection.

"G." He corrected. Although he was alarmed at the feelings and thoughts that were caused by her saying it, he wanted to hear her say it, needed to hear her say it, even if it was only one more time. "Call me G."

"G?" She conceded, knowing that those three words were paramount. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed and arched an eyebrow as he smiled and teased, "If I can't seduce you in front of your parents, then you can't seduce me when we're less than ten yards from them."

"Oh my God," She exclaimed as she glanced around. As she thought it, she asked, "What is with you making me forget where I am?" She winched, "Damn it."

"Uh-oh, Naughty Nell has entered the building," He joked, trying to ease her regret, her fear of sharing her thoughts with him.

She glared and crossed her arms.

He smirked, as he turned, wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, and confessed, "I like Naughty Nell. Believe me; I want to get intimately acquainted with her."

"Cal…" She started to exclaim only to correct herself, "G!"

"That's exactly what she'll say, too." He grinned, she blushed, and his grin widened, because of it. "But, it'll be louder and breathier than that, and more than once."

She folded her lips into her mouth and bit down, slightly wincing as her teeth met her bottom lip. She brought her right hand gingerly to touch it with her index and middle finger. He glanced down and when he saw what she was doing, he chortled when he realized she was checking her bottom lip for blood where he had nipped and nibbled earlier, "Yeah, about that," He said. "I tend to like it rough."

She playfully pushed him away and carefully sprinted toward her parents with clenched fists at her sides.

He bit his lip as he watched her hips sway and her legs powerfully walk away.

When she was five yards away from her parents, he caught up with her, and wrapped his right arm around her waist. She slowed the speed of her pace. When they were only a yard away from her parents who had just begun to order, he slipped his right hand in her back right jean pocket. She glared at him, but did not react.

After all, who wanted their parents to know that an attractive, dangerous, and oh so mysterious man had his hand in her pants?

Not Nell Jones.

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_**Thank you for reading. :-) I appreciate all of the readership, alerts, favourites, and reviews.**_


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